Pandemic Studios applies the same formula it used in the popular
Star Wars: Battlefront series to another cherished mythology in
The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, this time letting players take either side of
J.R.R. Tolkien's epic tale of good vs. evil and then battle through familiar locations from
Peter Jackson's film adaptations. There are four playable classes, allowing gamers to wield swords in melee combat as a Warrior, fire arrows at enemies as an Archer, use stealth and cunning as a Scout, or employ magic to attack or heal as a Mage. Players can also make use of familiar creatures such as oliphaunts and trolls, use horses and wargs as mounts, and periodically take control of series heroes or villains, including
Gandalf,
Saruman,
Aragorn,
Sauron,
Legolas, and even a
Balrog.
The single-player campaign puts gamers in the role of "good" characters as they fight through familiar conflicts from the films, including the Battle of Helm's Deep and the Battle of Minas Tirith. However, a new Evil Campaign puts players on the other side of the same conflicts, and in supposing that
Frodo was unsuccessful in his quest to destroy The One Ring,
LOTR: Conquest also lets gamers join
Sauron's dark army as it continues its march of destruction across all of Middle-earth. Multiplayer options let up to 16 people battle online in five different game modes, including "Conquest," "Capture the Ring," "Team Deathmatch," "Hero Deathmatch," and "Ring Bearer," in which one player serves as
Frodo and all other competitors act as Nazgûl trying to kill him.
~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide
;)
